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Top 5 Greatest Samurai Warriors of the Genpei War

The Shogunate

13,030 views

In this video we rank the top 5 greatest samurai warriors of Japan's Genpei War! Which warrior will come out on top in this brief list of the most significant combatants from one of Japan's most storied conflicts.

Learn more about the Genpei War:
The Genpei War | FULL DOCUMENTARY The Genpei War | FULL DOCUMENTARY
Setting the Stage Updated: Full series playlist Setting the Stage (UPDATED)

More samurai ranking videos:
Top 10 Greatest Samurai Warriors of the Sengoku Jidai Top 10 Greatest Samurai Warriors of the Se...
Top 10 Important Samurai Castles Top 10 Important Samurai Castles
Top 10 Important Samurai Battles Top 10 Important Samurai Battles

Video Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
3:05 Number 5
5:50 Number 4
8:30 Number 3
11:03 Number 2
14:14 Number 1 and Closing

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Sources:
"A History of the Samurai" by Jonathan Lopez-Vera
"The Samurai Encyclopedia" by Constantine Nomikos Vaporis
"Hired Swords: The Rise of Private Warrior Power in Early Japan" by Karl Friday
"Legends of the Samurai" by Hiroaki Sato
"Samurai and the Warrior Culture of Japan, 471-1877" by Thomas Conlan
"The Tale of the Heike" translated by Royall Tyler
"Samurai Battles" by Michael Sharpe
Various articles from the Japanese Wiki Corpus: https://www.japanesewiki.com/

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Music from:
Samurai Warriors 2: Empires

Artwork and Images:
Classical art, which in most cases can be considered public domain.
Art from Osprey Publications.
Other modern artist renditions or photos, if you see your work in this video please contact me so that I can give you proper credit!

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Support the channel on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/theshogunatey...

#Samurai #History #Japan

20 Comments

@etw120 8 months ago (edited)

You should make a few videos on the fall of the Hojo regency, rise of the Ashikaga, and the Nanbokucho wars

@Rome.s_Greatest_Enemy 8 months ago

Hey Shogunate, I was watching your videos regularly for the last 6-7 weeks and must say ....i got my knowledge almost complete on Japanese history from wars to culture to armour....

thanks your channel is a Gold for japanese history lovers 🤜🏻🗿🤛🏻

@TalesofDawnandDusk 8 months ago (edited)

I mean, part of me wants to say that putting Yoshitsune at number 1 is unoriginal, but let's be real, he's the only real choice. Also, I'm super looking forward to when you do some of the other warriors of the Heian Period like Minamoto no Yorimitsu, Minamoto no Yoshiie or Taira no Tadatsune. The story in the Konjaku Monogatari Shu of the Former Nine Years War is pretty great, with stories of individual bravery and some very interesting battle tactics. Though, if my boy Taira no Masakado doesn't end up number one in the video he's featured in, and then go on to win the grand finals, I'm gonna riot.

@TheSilentKatanaWisdom 8 months ago

This video is an absolute masterpiece for any fan of Japanese history! ⚔🇯🇵 I really appreciate the way you structured the ranking, especially by focusing on historical figures with verified military successes rather than just folklore. Your breakdown of the Genpei War's dynamics and the tragic rivalry between the Minamoto brothers adds so much depth to the stories of these warriors. 🧠✨

Ranking Minamoto no Yoshitsune as number one is spot on—his tactical brilliance at Dan-no-ura is legendary! 🌊 It was also great to see the Taira commanders like Tomomori and Shigehira get the recognition they deserve for their resilience. The visuals and the storytelling are top-notch as always. 🏛📖 I’ve already liked the video and shared it with my history-buff friends. Can't wait for your next ranking on the different periods of Japanese history! Keep up the incredible work, The Shogunate! 👏🔥🏯

@michaelblower7363 8 months ago

One Heian era Honourable Mention I'd add would be Minamoto No Tametomo.
A legendary archer who fought in the Hogen Rebellion, serving Emperor Sutoku. Apparently he also journeyed to an island (either Izu Islands or Okinawa) and subjugated the locals there.

@ujiost 8 months ago

Just when I thought my day couldn't get better, Shogunate uploads another banger. Excellent video as always 🔥🔥

@thelemming54 5 months ago

I wonder why I didn't get a notification on this one? I normally watch all your videos almost as soon as they drop.

@Daniel_Tkachuk 8 months ago

Great video as usual! You should also do a more in depth videos about the boshin war and the nanbokucho, that would be amazing

@-RONNIE 8 months ago

Thank you again for the nice videos I appreciate it

@triton5336 8 months ago

When the world needed him most he arrived. 🎉

@nelliethursday1812 8 months ago

You really should consider reading a Samurai history book for audio purposes i would definitely buy one. Your voice is perfect for such an endeavor

@luifernando4002 8 months ago (edited)

Can’t wait for you to get to the Muromachi period. You don’t really see anyone telling any stories about that period. It’s always either a brief overview of the Kenmu restoration or they skip to the Onin war and nothing else. I’m interested in the early Sengoku period too but there’s literally almost nothing on YouTube discussing what happened between the rise of the Ashikaga shogunate and the Onin War

@khal7702 8 months ago

awesome! thanks for these

@hanzohattori5980 8 months ago

Thank you for the video my friend and keep up the great work My friend

@jimmyzbike 8 months ago

Love your videos. I always learn something

@CP_Alexander 8 months ago

Thank you for this! If possible can you make a list of the greatest Minamoto warriors? There is a lot aside from Yoshitsune. There's Yorimitsu, Tametomo, etc etc